Ryan Sheckler: The Youngest Winner of X Games | E65

Jun 13, 2023

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Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is Ryan Sheckler, one of the greatest skateboarders of all time! He turned pro when he was only 13 and, in that same year, became the youngest gold medalist in X Games history.

At 17, he was the star of his own MTV reality show, The Life of Ryan. And in 2008, he created the Sheckler Foundation, whose goal is to support and enrich the lives of children and injured action sports athletes.

Tune in to hear about his beginnings, the skateboarding community, Tony Hawk, the crucial X Game competition that made him famous, and so much more!

Time stamps:

00:50 Ryan’s first skateboarding experience

He was around 18 months old
A wild kid that moved around a lot
Discovered skateboarding as a toddler and naturally took it to the next level
All his neighbors skated
Loves free-falling and speed
The reaction of parents when they got hurt
Broke his arm when he was 5

05:48 Wearing helmets and pads

Very important for kids that are still learning
Wore helmet until 14
There is always a risk of falling
Today, it’s all about social media
Social media can work for you or against for you
Kids should learn in their own way and at their own pace
There're no rules to skateboarding, you’ve got to feel it
Randall’s experience in Venice skate park

15:00 Meeting Tony Hawk

Tony Hawk skated at the YMCA
Ryan’s dad emailed him and asked to come to a birthday party
Tony asked for $500 and a chocolate cake
It was an incredible experience
His coming and the way he treated them stuck with him

17:22 Skater community is a giving community

Was in Cuba years ago
The skate scene in Cuba is epic
They build their own incredible skateboards from various materials
Left everything he brought with himself there
The skater community is special and very giving
Ryan traveled the world as a skateboarder
You don't have to speak the language, speaking skateboarding is enough
What they all have in common is pain
Ryan had 12 broken bones, ligaments injuries, surgeries, and pins
Do good things for people in silence
Randall’s son skateboarding themed Bar Mitzvah
As getting older, Ryan wants to be more selfless

27:50 Rodney Mullen and his impact on Ryan’s life

Rodney Mullen is the best skateboarder alive ever
Rodney is the forefather of skateboarding
A Skateboard company called Almost
Unexpectedly, Rodney Mullen called Ryan
Ryan was obsessed with skateboarding and won many competitions
But didn’t expect to go pro before 21
Started traveling with Rodney
The impact he had on Ryan’s life is immeasurable

33:57 Winning the X Games at 13

Getting invited to X Games
Always enjoyed skateboarding contests
Got the opportunity to go to X Games
He was stoked to be around all the skateboarding superstars
Preformed excellently and his score was the best
He won the competition but it didn’t make sense to him
Had to go to school the next day

38:50 Learning wrestling in high school

Won the X Games and turned pro
That summer had

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